How to Use AI to Create Course Workbooks (Step-by-Step Guide)

Want to save hours creating your course workbook with AI? We’ve got you covered with our step-by-step guide, including free ChatGPT prompts and examples.

You know you should create a workbook for your course so you can help students actually do the work and create a real transformation.

But staring at a blank page, trying to figure out exactly what to write or how to format your course workbook!?

That's enough to make any course creator procrastinate.

That’s where the power of using AI to create your course workbook comes in.

Here at Wobo, we’re workbook experts, so all you have to do is follow the steps below, enter the prompts, and you’ll be on your way to creating an engaging workbook for your online course (in way less time!).

Step 1: Choose Your AI Platform for Writing Your Workbook

The right course workbook can turn concepts into actionable steps, transforming how students engage with your course…and it doesn’t have to take weeks to create!

With these powerful tools, you can focus on delivering value while letting AI handle the heavy lifting, turning your expertise into a polished, interactive workbook in no time.

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Best for:

generating prompts
creating examples
breaking down complex topics

Although GPT-4 isn't specifically designed as an AI workbook generator, it excels at understanding context and generating nuanced content, making it an ideal tool for creating your course workbook.

Available at https://chatgpt.com/

Claude (Anthropic)

Best for:

longer-form content
detailed explanations
sophisticated reasoning

My personal favorite, it’s an amazing copyright and excellent at maintaining context throughout longer conversations using the ‘project’ tool.

Available at http://claude.ai

Step 2: Train Your AI on Your Course Content

Your AI is only as good as the information you give it. The more context and clarity it has, the better the outputs. Here’s how to set your AI up for success:

Upload Course Documents

Don’t let your AI guess—feed it with specifics.

Upload your course syllabus, outlines, lesson plans, and any supplemental resources to create a course workbook template. This gives the AI a solid foundation to generate targeted prompts, exercises, and examples that align with your course objectives.

Tip: Highlight key concepts, terminology, and teaching methods unique to your course for even more tailored outputs.

Establish Tone of Voice and Style

Want your workbook to sound like you?

Define your tone of voice—whether it’s friendly, professional, motivational, or conversational.

Share examples of your past materials, emails, or other communication that reflect your brand personality.

Tip: Use AI’s ability to mimic tone to maintain consistency throughout your workbook.

Step 3: Use AI to Create Quick Wins in Your Course Workbook

Stacking small wins early on is crucial for workbooks because it creates momentum, builds confidence, and increases the likelihood of completion for all types of learning styles.

Breaking down large objectives into small wins makes the course workbook and learning journeys feel achievable. Learners focus on one step at a time instead of feeling overwhelmed by the entire process.

Here's how it works:

Start with a quick win (something they can complete in under 2 minutes)
Build to slightly bigger actions
End with a significant accomplishment
Each step builds confidence for the next one.

Use this AI workbook prompt to create small wins:

“Help me create a series of micro-wins for someone learning [topic].

These wins do not have to occur at the same time and can be scattered throughout their learning materials.

Each win should:

Take less than 5 minutes to complete
Give immediate satisfaction
Build confidence for the next step
Connect directly to the end goal of [desired outcome]

Provide 5 micro-wins in ascending order of complexity.”

Here's an example of the small wins you can expect to receive from the prompt, in this case for someone learning to knit with the end goal of knitting a scarf.

You can incorporate these into your workbook or as prompts after each lesson!

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The key to getting your students to complete their workbook isn't just about what you ask - it's about HOW and WHEN you ask it.

To stack small wins, you want to use multiple choice, checkbox, fill-in-the-blank, or short answers at the beginning of your workbook to build momentum quickly.

Step 4: Use AI to Turn Tasks into Decisions

The goal of your workbook is to break down complex concepts into small, bite-sized pieces to build confidence and encourage students to keep going.

The best way to do that is to ask for DECISIONS, instead of TASKS. Decisions are easier to make than starting from scratch.

Instead of something overwhelming like 'Create your time management system', we can break it into tiny decisions:

Start with One Core Question: "When are you most productive?"
Build on Their Answer: "Let's design your ideal day..."
Make Each Step Actionable: "Create your personalized schedule..."

First, let's help AI understand the transformation you want to create. Start with this prompt:

“Help me identify the absolute minimum first step someone needs to take to [your topic].

Focus only on the initial decision they need to make, not the entire process.

Format your response as:

1. The end goal is: [goal]

2. The first decision needed is: [decision]

3. This decision is foundational because: [explanation]"

Next, you are going to ask AI to use that information to create workbook prompts for you!

Prompt:

“Using that information, create a series of quick win workbook prompts to get someone started”

And just like that, you've created 8 workbook prompts in 1 minute!

The next step is to create decision steps: if you want to get more detailed or offer multiple-choice options for each decision, you can use this prompt to break down the journey:

“Create a sequence of small, manageable decisions that lead to [end goal].

For each decision:

1. What specific choice needs to be made?

2. What information is needed to make this choice?

3. What are the possible options to choose from?

Make each decision small enough that it can be made in 5 minutes or less.”

Step 5: Create Case Studies with AI Prompts

One of the most powerful ways to help students apply concepts? Case studies. Here's why they work:

Students can practice without the pressure of their own situation
They see how the concept works in a real scenario
It's easier to be objective when it's not personal
They can then apply those same principles to their situation

Use this AI prompt to generate a case study for you (saving you SO much time):

“Generate the scenario:

Create a case study about someone struggling with [specific challenge].

Include:

Their background
Main pain points
What they've tried that hasn't worked

Keep the case study brief and focused on the main pain points without going into too much detail.

Make it specific but relatable to most people in [your target audience].”

And just like that, you have an entire case study ready to present in your workbook:

The goal of case studies is to apply learning concepts to real-world scenarios.

Why? To create "aha!" moments that demonstrate the value of your content and turn it into real results.

Before showing the results of the case study, encourage students to come up with their own recommendations, in a question format like:

"Before we explore what Sarah did, let's put the pomodoro technique into action. Based on what you've learned, how would you help Sarah?"

You can break it down into smaller questions using this prompt:

“Based on this case study, create questions that ask readers to apply [your method/framework] to improve [name of person in case study]'s [challenge].

Be sure to include questions that address:

areas for improvement
first steps
specific actions they can take
personal reflections

Keep each question brief and concrete."

Here's an example of the type of questions you'll get with the prompt:

Next, show how applying your framework drove results.

Tip: you can upload your framework or course materials for this question so your AI can tailor the case study to your own lessons.

To do so, just upload your file and prompt "Learn this framework [name of framework] and apply it to the case study in the next steps."

Prompt:

“Show how this person applied [your method/framework] step by step. Include:

Specific actions they took
Obstacles they overcame
Keep each step concrete and achievable

Along with the specific actions, write realistic, specific results this person achieved after implementing the solution.

Include:

Quantitative outcomes (numbers, percentages)
Qualitative changes (feelings, confidence)
Unexpected positive side effects

Make the results ambitious but believable.”

And here's an example of the results you can expect. Now that you have these, we are going to create more questions based on the results!

Now your students have worked through their own solutions AND seen the results of what the case study subject actually did, so it’s time to bring everything together!

You can insert questions like:

What solutions did you have in common?
Where did you take a different approach?
What can you learn from both approaches?

The power of this approach?

Students actively problem-solve instead of passively reading
They apply the framework themselves
They see there's more than one way to solve challenges
They build confidence in their decision-making

Now comes the fun part: applying the case study to their own lives! This is key for making an engaging workbook that feels helpful, instead of feeling like a chore or a test.

Consider adding in workbook questions like:

What similarities do you see between [Sarah's] situation and yours?
What specific challenges resonate with your situation?
Which of her solutions could you adapt?
What would you have done differently?

Suggest action steps like:

Choose ONE solution to try tomorrow
Identify TWO team members to get feedback from
Schedule ONE change to implement next week

Troubleshooting AI Workbook Prompts

If your AI responses aren't quite right, try these modification prompts:

For too-complex responses:

"Please simplify the previous response. Make each step small enough that a complete beginner could do it without additional explanation."

For too-vague responses:

"Make the previous response more specific. Include concrete examples and measurable actions for each point."

For misaligned responses:

"Adjust the previous response to focus specifically on [your exact goal]. Each point should directly contribute to [desired outcome]."

Remember: The best workbooks evolve with student feedback. Use these prompts as a starting point and refine based on actual student engagement and completion rates.

Need help? Try this prompt:

"What questions should I be asking to improve [specific section] of my workbook for better student engagement?"

Conclusion

Creating a course workbook that engages students and drives results doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

With the step-by-step guide outlined here, you now have the tools and prompts to turn your expertise into a resource your students will love. From choosing the right AI platform to structuring small wins and building momentum, the process is simpler—and more effective—than ever.

But why stop at good when you can make it exceptional?

Wobo takes your course workbook to the next level, turning static content into dynamic, interactive experiences. Whether it’s real-time updates, progress tracking, or visually engaging templates, Wobo ensures your students stay connected and invested throughout their learning journey.

Are you ready to transform your course workbook into a powerful learning tool today?

Try Wobo and see how effortless creating impactful, interactive workbooks can be.

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